Devices for detecting leaks have existed for many years. These devices typically involve the introduction of a visible vapour such as smoke or fog into the system being tested. Leaks would then be detected visually as the vapour escaped through tiny cracks or holes in the system. These devices are useful for testing for leaks in hydraulic or gas systems, air craft pipe systems and pipe systems in ships for example.
Many leak detector apparatuses employ smoke to test for leaks. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,107,698 describes an apparatus for testing an internal combustion engine for vacuum leaks. For example, the apparatus generates smoke in a chamber and pumps the smoke into the intake manifold of a vacuum system in an internal combustion engine. Leaks are detected upon the escape of smoke. The fact that this apparatus produces smoke is problematic in that smoke is potentially toxic to workers operating the apparatus. Also, the introduction of smoke into the atmosphere causes environmental concerns.
To address this problem, other apparatuses have been developed to test for leaks with the use of smoke and ultraviolet dye as a vapour. However, these apparatuses require the vapours generated to be heated. They therefore employ heat elements to generate vapours for detection purposes. U.S. Pat. No. 6,392,227 for example discloses a system that generates a marker vapour that incorporates a fluorescent substance. The vapour stain is detected using ultraviolet light when escaping from a leak in the system being tested. This system however requires that the vapour be heated. This is a disadvantage because of the increased energy required to operate the device. Also, the heating element can be a fire hazard. In the event of a malfunction in the heating element circuit, a fuel tank explosion is a potential hazard in testing systems such as evaporative emissions systems in the automotive industry. To reduce or eliminate the possibility of combustion, an inert gas such as nitrogen is currently required to propel the smoke in these types of machines.
There is therefore a need for an apparatus for testing leaks in a system being tested that that does not employ smoke and that does not require that the medium being used to detect and indicate the location of leaks to be heated.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus that is effective for detecting leaks in systems wherein the apparatus generates a vapour other than smoke that does not need to be heated.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for detecting leaks that is connectable to an air supply.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for detecting leaks that employs fog as a medium under pressure for detecting leaks.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a leak detector that provides a higher volume of vapour to a system being tested and a higher fill rate than conventional existing leak detectors.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a leak detecting apparatus that applies preset pressure ranges of detection vapour to the system being tested for safe and reliable detection of leaks.